The Conservative Government have been accused of delivering "yet another slap in the face for the Clyde yards" with the news that BAE Systems are looking to build the first batch of Type 31 frigates on Merseyside.

BAE will partner with Cammell Laird to build the vessels at their Merseyside facility leaving the Clyde yards to focus on the Type 26 Frigates.

The company state that they have made the decision “in response to the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) evolving requirements" however Scottish National Party defence spokesperson Stewart McDonald says that it jeopardises the future of the Clyde shipyards.

The MP said: "If these reports are true it would be yet another slap in the face for the Clyde yards.

"The Tories cannot be trusted on shipbuilding. We have the skills, the expertise, the infrastructure in Scotland - but what we have also had is years of promises from Westminster - that have been broken. A key component of a steady stream of work for Scottish shipbuilding is this new T31e smaller frigate. So, for the suggestion that they will be built elsewhere is of real concern."

By partnering with Cammell Laird BAE say they will be in a better position to ‘appropriately support the National Shipbuilding Strategy’ ensuring that five Offshore Patrol Vessels and the first batch of three City class Type 26 frigates are delivered ‘to time, budget and to the highest quality standards.’

In a statement the company also stated that the shipbuilding capacity at their Clyde yards is full until the mid-2030s.

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“In response to the MOD's evolving requirements as outlined in the National Shipbuilding Strategy, BAE Systems will bring together its warship design and engineering capability and combat systems expertise with Cammell Laird, the commercial shipbuilder, in a Teaming Agreement to bid for the manufacture of the Type 31e, an adaptable general purpose frigate."

The statement continued: "BAE Systems is focused on the manufacture and delivery of the two QE Class carriers, the five River Class Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) and the first three City class Type 26 warships, as well as continuing to develop and upgrade combat management systems on all Royal Navy ships.Taking account our current and future workload, including Type 26, our shipbuilding capacity on the Clyde will be full until the mid 2030s.

"BAE Systems has a capable workforce delivering flexible, next generation platform engineering and combat systems’ design, integration and security technologies that Royal Navy crew members can rely on.”

However the SNP state that there are real fears for the future and points the finger squarely at Westminster: "The UK government has form on this.

"They originally boasted that 13 Type 26 frigates would be built on the Clyde. They then slashed that guarantee to 8. It has now dropped to 3 - with the MoD insisting that the remaining 5 will be built but that negotiations on those contracts will now not start until the early 2020s.

"Today’s reports are deeply worrying and I will be raising this in parliament at the first opportunity.’’